1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a semiconductor assembly apparatus for assembling the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional semiconductor devices, circuits are formed on a flat silicon wafer. In order to decrease manufacturing expense, a large diameter single silicon crystal column is manufactured through a crystal growth method, which is then divided into a multitude of wafers. The manufacturing apparatus becomes more expensive as the diameter of the single crystal column increases. During manufacture of the conventional semiconductor device, the wafer is conveyed by a belt conveyor, for example, through many manufacturing stages, while being subjected to successive manufacturing processes. The manufacturing process is intermittent, taking several months to completion. In response to an increasing speed in circuit density of 4 times per three years, the fine-process becomes finer and finer. The result is an increasing and immense experimental cost for particle treatment, stepper, CMP and so forth.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a linear semiconductor device and continuous-process semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that has a low manufacturing cost and is produced in a short manufacturing time.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional semi-conductor of high integration without the requirement of forming fine circuitry.
To attain the objects described a semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a plurality of linear semiconductors of a predetermined length parallelly aligned in a lateral direction, each of which includes linear semiconductor material and at least one circuit element formed on a surface of the linear semiconductor material.
A semiconductor device according to the present invention could further include a plurality of linear semiconductors aligned laterally in a square matrix or in a 60 degrees rhombic matrix.
A semiconductor device according to the present invention could further include a plurality of linear semiconductors electrically connected with each other where projection electrodes are formed on outer surfaces of linear semiconductors for connecting a plurality of linear semiconductors with one another and/or fixing the linear semi-conductors relative to one another.
A semiconductor assembly apparatus according to the present invention assembles a semiconductor device utilizing a plurality of linear semiconductors of a predetermined length. The semiconductor assembly apparatus includes an arranging member for parallelly aligning the linear semiconductors extending in a longitudinal direction, and a connecting member for connecting the linear semiconductors electrically with each other.
The semiconductor assembly apparatus according to the present invention can further align a plurality of linear semiconductors laterally in a square matrix or in a 60 degree rhombic matrix.
In the semiconductor assembly apparatus according to the present invention, preferably the arranging member includes a positioning member for fixing a position of each of the linear semiconductors relative to the other linear semiconductors. Preferably, the connecting members electrically connect the linear semiconductors with each other when heated, and the arranging member is liquefied when heated. Preferably, the arranging member includes a plurality of longitudinal members of a rhomboid cross-section parallelly aligned in a lateral direction, each of which decreases in thickness outwardly in the lateral direction and are connected with a neighboring longitudinal member at a narrow connecting portion thereof. The side surface of the longitudinal members touch the outer surface of the linear semiconductors.
The narrow connecting portion in the semiconductor assembly apparatus may be provided with holes which receive the projection electrodes formed on the outer surface of the linear semiconductor.